Aquarius WD420 1200 Spin
As with most things in life, with the WD420 you get what you pay for. It is a relatively cheap machine, and so don’t expect to be blown away by it.
Of course, this is not to say that there are not good things to be said about this machine. The drum is spacious enough to accommodate large washes, and the drawer for loading washing powder is similarly roomy. In terms of wash choices you get a bog standard number of choices, ranging from pre-wash, through coloured synthetics, and finishing with silks. A particularly useful feature is the “fast wash”, which is my experience works just as well as the other options in half the time. As well as the various washing options you can also choose different temperatures, ranging from no heat to 95 degrees if you feel like obliterating your clothes. All in all, it has to be said that Aquarius have made a very decent washing machine.
Alas, this is where it all goes wrong for the WD420, which, despite being advertised as a Washer/Dryer performs the second task pretty dismally. It seems that no matter which combination of heat/dry cycle is chosen, all that comes out at the end is a ball of steaming hot, completely drenched clothes. Despite the various attempts that I made to sort the problem (checking the ventilation etc.) nothing seemed to help. It seems that Aquarius have created a machine that is very good at washing, but pretty much hopeless at drying.
The only other feature of note is the start and on/off button’s tendency to get stuck, but a fork or knife stuck into the gap between them usually sorts this problem.
Overall, I think that the WD420 is a decent washer/dryer, at a reasonable price. The one I own is constantly being used by myself and my 5 flat mates, and has continued to function despite the heavy work load. The thing I would say is that if I had to choose again I would probably just have bought a washing machine and a clothes horse to dry clothes on. The lesson I have learned is that with washer driers it is worth spending the extra money to get a good one, rather than skimping and ending up with a washing machine that masquerades as a drier as well.
- O. H.